2025 Updated - Practical & Complete Gay Guide of Istanbul

Practical Gay Guide of Istanbul

A printable, brief guide of Istanbul featuring gay bars, clubs, hotels, hammams, saunas, gay cruising areas as well as lesbian and transgender venues.

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Ideal for Cell Phones - All you need to do is to bookmark this page on your phone before coming to Istanbul and click on the links to find the venues on Google Maps.
All in One Page - Complete guide listing all LGBT & friendly places worth visiting.
Reliable - Updated instantly by local people unlike other international gay guides.
Brief - There is no unnecessary information and long descriptions.
Multilingual - Available in major languages.

Abbreviations for clientele types in venues

G / g : Gay men
L / l : Lesbians
T / t : Transgenders
B / b : Bears / bi / mature men
S / s : Straight people
R / r : Rentboys
H / h : Hustlers, unsafe people
Gf : Gay friendly

Useful Tips
If it is a capitalized letter it means they are the majority of the clients there, or else few of them would be around.
Click on name of the venues to find them on Google Maps

Gay Cafes & Bars

These venues are busy in the evening and around midnight roughly between 21:00 pm - 02:00 am. The price range is around $7 - 8 for local drinks. No entrance or cloakroom fees required to be paid normally. Most of them would be open everyday.

Mor Kedi Cafe (G-b) - Ipek Sokak 16 / 3, Beyoglu (3rd floor)
EXbar (G-b) - Dernek Sk No:11, Kat 1, Beyoglu, Istanbul
Anason Bear Bar (B-g) - Imam Adnan Sk. No:10, Kat 3 Beyoglu
Bigudi Bar & Club (L-g) - Bekar Sokak, No:23, Beyoglu (top floor)

Gay Night Clubs

These venues are busy after midnight roughly between 24:00 pm - 04:00 am. The price range is around $10 - 12 for local drinks. Entrance fees would be compulsory especially during weekends, which would be around $14 - 17, typically including 1 local drink. They might be closed during some weekdays.

Stay Club (G-b) - Sıraselviler Cad. No 35 / 2, Taksim, Beyoglu
Tekyon Club (G-b-r) - Siraselviler Cad, No: 63/1 Taksim, Beyoglu
Love Club (G-l-s) - Cumhuriyet Cad. No: 349 Harbiye, Istanbul
Super Fabric (G-t-r-s) - Cumhuriyet Cad. No: 42 Elmadag, Istanbul
Pinokyo Club (G-r-h) - Buyukparmakkapi Sk, No:17, Beyoglu (terrace floor)
Club Cheeky (G-b-r) - Tarlabasi Bulvari No: 32 Taksim, Istanbul
X Large Club (G-S-l) - Ataturk Oto Sanayi. 52.Sok. No:12/1, Maslak

Gay Friendly Venues

Despite the numerous venues in Istanbul where LGBT individuals can feel at ease, the following establishments are particularly recognized for being gay-friendly.

Street Pub (S-Gf) - Mis Sk. No:19, Taksim, Beyoğlu.
Babel Cafe & Restaurant - Turnacıbaşı Cd. No:56, Beyoğlu
Basement Cafe (S-Gf) - Dalga Sk. No:20, Caferaga, Kadıköy
Mecra Bar (S-Gf) - Dumlupinar Sk No:5, Kadıköy
Salpa Vegan Bar (S-Gf) - Piri Çavuş Sk. No:3, Kadıköy
Bocek Cafe (S-Gf) - Moda Cad, Bademaltı Sk. 17/A,Kadıköy

Gay Friendly Hotels

List of real gay friendly hotels in Istanbul confirmed by their owners with direct links to their Booking Com pages, thus you can book them instantly or later. Listed roughly from cheaper to more expensive.

Naz Wooden (Gf) - Akbıyık Değirmeni Sk. No:7, Sultanahmet
Hotel Sultanahmet (Gf) - Divan Yolu Cd. No:20, Sultanahmet
Babel Park (Gf) - Sht. Pilot Mahmut Nedim Sk. No:3, Aksaray, Fatih
Kunterbunt Aparts (Gf) - Pelesenk Sk. No:10, Taksim, Istanbul
Hotel Novano (Gf) - Akbıyık Cd. No:76, Sultanahmet
The Fox Taksim (Gf) - Babil Sokak N: 69, Elmadag, Taksim
Walton Lina Pera (Gf) - Hamalbasi Cd. No:28, Galatasaray, Beyoglu
Tomtom Suites (Gf) - Bogazkesen Cad No:18, Beyoglu

Click here for more detailed info about these gay-friendly hotels

Saunas & Bath Houses

Even though mainly frequented by gay men none of these bath houses are not officially gay venues and their staff may not always be very gay friendly. Clients would be mostly middle aged and mature men. Hammams mostly close around 10 pm. Entrance fee would cost around $8 - 12 excluding massage and other extra services.

Aquarius Sauna (G-R-b-h) - Sadri Alisik Sokak, 29/1 Beyoglu (open 7 & 24)
Firuzaga Hamam (G-B) - Cukurcuma Cd. No: 6, Beyoglu
Cihangir Sauna (G-B-r) - Altipatlar Sokak, No: 14 Beyoglu / Istanbul
Yesildirek Hamam (G-B-s) - Tershane Cad. No:124, Beyoglu

Meeting Points

These are not gay venues, but rather meeting points where gay men often hang out during the day time and in the early evenings.

EspressoLab Taksim (S,G) - Istiklal Cad, No: 15, Taksim. (terrace floor)
Simit Sarayi Taksim (S-b-g-r-h) - Taksim Square, Taksim (upper floor)
Burger King Taksim (S-b-g-r-h) - Istiklal Caddesi No:1, Taksim (upper floor)

Cruising Spots

Not very busy as before since gay mobile apps became widespread. There might also be hustlers in all cruising places. It is advised not to carry valuable things and a lot of cash.

Taksim Square (S-b-g-r-h)
Taksim Gezi Park (S-b-g-r-H)
Cihangir Sanat Park (S-b-g-r-h)
Saraçhane Park (S-b-g-r-H)
Muratpasa Park (S-B-g-r-h)
Kadikoy Park (S-b-g-r-h)

Kinaliada Beach (S-b-g-r-h)
Burgazada Beach (S-b-g-r-h)

Trans Friendly Clubs

Sahra Club (T-H-r) - Sadri Alisik Sok. No:42 Beyoglu, Istanbul
Super Fabric (G-t-s) - Cumhuriyet Cad. No: 42 Elmadag, Sisli

Lesbian Bars & Clubs

Bigudi Bar (L-g) - Bekar Sokak, No:23, Beyoglu, Istanbul

Recently Closed

Following venues has been closed recently and they might still be listed on other online and printed gay guides
Babil Hotel's Pub, Rocinante Bar, Chianti Bar, Durak Pub, Club 17, Chaplin Cafe